1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus including a display unit on which an operation picture having indicia corresponding to a plurality of image processing functions is displayed, and to an operating method of such an apparatus, wherein image processing to be executed is selected by an external operation for entering a corresponding position on the display unit.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, electronic cameras as one form of image processing apparatus provided with a display unit for displaying a photographed image have been practically used. Also, multi-functional electronic cameras have been developed, in view of a wide variety of operator's demands, wherein a list, of a plurality of functions is displayed on the display unit, permitting the operator to select a desired function by means of a touch screen.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of such a multi-functional electronic camera.
In FIG. 12, a control unit 50 is connected, through a control bus 52, to an image pickup unit 54, a recording and reproducing unit 56, a video display processing unit 58, an editing unit 60, an overlay processing unit 62, a frame memory 64 for an operation picture, a display unit 66, and a touch screen 68.
In the electronic camera thus constructed, the control unit 50 performs timing control, through the control bus 52, with respect to the image pickup unit 54, recording and reproducing unit 56, video display processing unit 58, editing unit.60, overlay processing unit 62, frame memory 64 for the operation picture, display unit 66, and touch screen 68.
The image pickup unit 54 transmits a still image: or a movie image (both hereinafter referred simply as “image”), to the recording and reproducing unit 56 and video display processing unit 58.
The recording and reproducing unit 56 compresses the image provided by the image pickup unit 54, and writes the compressed image into a recording medium, such as a magnetic disk. The recording and reproducing unit 56 also reads out the image recorded in the recording medium, decompresses or expands it, and transmits the decompressed image to the editing unit 60.
The video display processing unit 58 processes the image provided by the image pickup unit 54 by converting its pixel density, so as to produce an image to be projected on a finder portion F in a camera window, which is included in an operation picture OP displayed on the display unit 66, as shown in FIG. 13, and transmits the image to the overlay processing unit 62.
The frame memory 64 for the operation picture stores a predetermined image displayed in the form of windows, including a window menu bar (not shown) and icons (corresponding to a RECORD button, an EDIT button and others in this example), which are included in the operation picture displayed on the display unit 66. This image displayed in the form of windows is transmitted to the overlay processing unit 62 with the timing directed by the control unit 50.
The overlay processing unit 62 superimposes or overlays the image of the finder, received from the video display processing unit 58, on the image displayed as windows that is received from the frame memory 64, so as to produce the operation picture (more precisely, an image signal representing the operation picture) which is in turn transmitted to the display unit 66.
The display unit 66 displays the operation picture provided by the overlay processing unit 62.
A position on the display unit 66 is entered through the touch screen 68, which is operated by an operator who touches the screen 68 (pushes down the screen with a pen-like device or directly pushes down the screen).
The control unit 50 specifies an icon displayed at the position entered through the touch screen 68, among the icons on the operation picture, and instructs respective units of the camera to carry out the processing represented by the specified icon. Where the icon located at the above position is the RECORD button, for example, the control unit 50 instructs the recording and reproducing unit 56 to record the image.
Thus, by displaying a plurality of icons corresponding to respective functions, such as image recording and image editing, on the display unit 66, the processing of a selected function can be achieved when the operator selects the corresponding icon through the touch screen 68.
While the electronic camera is provided with many functions as described above, it is desirable that the size and weight of the electronic camera be small. This means that the size of the display unit 66 must be limited. To accommodate this limitation, an external display device of larger size (such as a television) may be used for displaying an image similar to the image displayed on the display unit 66, to allow the operator to confirm details of a photographed image or an image to be edited.
Even if an image similar to that on the display unit 66 is displayed on a larger external display device as mentioned above, however, the operator still needs to select an icon through the touch screen 68, referring to the operation picture displayed on the display unit 66. In such case, because of the small size of the display unit 66 and touch screen 68, the desired icon may not be easily and quickly specified by the operator, or an icon close to the desired icon may be pushed down by mistake, resulting in a poor efficiency of operation.